Suboro

You can watch the associated Suroyo TV broadcast (in Turkish) with journalist Yawsef Beth Turo and Nurgül Çelebi here.

By Nurgül Çelebi

In the Syriac church tradition, the feast of “Suboro” is celebrated annually on March 25. It commemorates the gospel in which the good tidings are brought to the Virgin Mary that she will be pregnant with Jesus Christ. During the preparation for this holiday, bracelets are made by knitting two red and white threads, and unleavened bread is made. Therefore, bracelets in red and white colors stand out as objects expressing the meaning of Suboro.

In some regions, strings of white, red, and black colors are formed. According to various interpretations, these three colors refer to the Holy Trinity. According to some, black indicates the sufferings and death of Jesus Christ, red indicates His blood on the cross, and white indicates His purity and divinity.

The origin of Suboro

But it is necessary to start from the beginning to describe this bracelet and its meaning. In the Christian belief, there is the idea that because Adam and Eve ate the forbidden apple, all of humanity was born in sin and was expelled from God’s paradise, the garden of Eden. Therefore, according to Christianity, every baby born at 40 days of age or later must be baptized to be cleansed from this original sin.

However, God loves His servants and has sent a part of Himself, Jesus Christ, to earth to forgive and redeem them. The suffering and the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross, also called the Lamb of God, has justified all of humankind in the eyes of God.

---

Discussions about the nature of Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ, in a way, brought the good news that God forgives his servants. His blood on the cross and his resurrection on the third day after his death also gives meaning to the Suboro symbol, which is one of good news. However, according to Christian teaching, its main importance comes from the good news that God sent his Son to earth to forgive his servants and that the Virgin Mary was pregnant with Jesus Christ.

As a sign of the resurrection, bracelets are made of red threads (symbolizing the human) and white threads (symbolizing the divine) which are intertwined. The divine and the human are intertwined and form an inseparable whole. The red thread represents the blood and body of Jesus Christ, i.e., his human aspect, while the white thread represents the divine aspect, the spiritual. These two essences are united in a single body in an entangled state. In a sense, these colors have a deeper meaning in reference to the Monophysite-Dyophysite discussions about the nature of Jesus Christ. For this reason, although the Suboro bracelet symbolizes rebirth, resurrection, and the gospel of God, it also has theological significance.

In Other Cultures

In fact, the origin of the entwined red and white thread bracelet dates to ancient times. The first known story appears in Noah’s Flood. According to the narrative, the entire universe was flooded and only a certain number of people and animals were taken aboard Noah’s Ark and survived by God’s command. After a long time, God sends a white dove to Noah and gives the good news that he forgives them. There is a white rope in the beak of the dove as a symbol of the gospel, but in some places, this is also referred to as an olive branch.

---

The white dove, representing the gospel, gets injured on the way and drips blood on its wing. So, the red thread in Suboro comes from the blood of the dove. Now it is necessary to explain a small detail here. The white dove is also quite common as a symbol of Jesus Christ. In this case, this dove, which represents peace, also describes here the reconciliation of God and man. Just as all humanity is freed from original sin upon the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, reconciliation is achieved between God and man. The shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross was a price. In Noah’s Flood, the injury and bloodshed of the white dove can be considered as a similar price.

The Suboro symbol is an actual Syriac symbol, and its origin is probably based on Noah’s Flood. The spring period is seen as a symbol of rebirth, peace, and the union of God and humanity. Similarly, these bracelets can be seen in different civilizations as well. An example of this is the red and white bracelets called marteniçka, which is a tradition of the Balkans and has its origins in paganism. In other words, not Suboro itself, but the red and white thread bracelet that represents it, has a place in different cultures.

Today, Suboro, a holiday celebrated on March 25 as the feast of the good news of the pregnancy of the Virgin Mary, has a special importance for women. Before the feast, women prepare bread. While this bread is being prepared, the maidens of the house sing the Syriac hymn called “The Bread of Life is Mine” and put the cruciform Suboro threads on the unleavened dough they poured.

All the cereals available at home are added to it. Then, it is taken to the roof of the house and waited for a while under the stars and moonlight that illuminate the night, accompanied by hymns. After the special prayers that the priest will recite, it is placed under the Bible in the church. It is distributed to the members of the congregation after the ritual.

The Suboro tradition is also seen among different religions and beliefs in Tur Abdin. While Yazidis practice this tradition like Syriacs; with Kurds and Mhalmis (Muslim Assyrians), this tradition is seen only in the form of knitting. The strings that the Mhalmis knit from blue and white threads are called “Basımbar”.

May you not miss the days when you will receive good news.

Nurgül Çelebi was born in 1985 in Istanbul. She holds a master’s degree from the Syriac Language and Culture Department at Mardin Artuklu University with her thesis on Sun and Moon Symbolism in Syriac literature. She continues her Ph.D. program in the history of religions at Ankara University with her thesis on “Sin-Shamash Duality and Its Reflection on Religions”. She is currently continuing her second Ph.D. in the Assyrian History doctorate program at ELTE University in Budapest.

Nurgül Çelebi works on Mesopotamian beliefs and mythologies and published papers on these subjects. In addition to academic studies, she has published three novels in Turkish: “Yarına Dokunmak“, “Aşka Dokunmak”, and “Tanrı Dağı”. Her stories have appeared in five anthologies: “Karanlıktaki Kadınlar”, “Hayalet Müzik”, “Eskilerin Şöleni”, “Dark Antoloji Birinci Kitap”, and “Dark Antoloji İkinci Kitap”.